Jokes You Have To Explain

Is a joke a joke if you have to explain it? 

Let's find out, shall we? 

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"One man's Mede is another man's Persian." 

"Are you Shah?" 

"Sultanly." 

In order to "get" this joke, you'd have to be familiar with the connection between the Medes and Persians; or between the Persians, Shahs, and Sultans; or heard the expression "one man's meat is another man's poison." 

The specialized word play of a pun generally appeals to the most cultured - but is it funny? 

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Friendly new t-shirts at this year's Theoretical Convention...

What's new? 

A basic equation in theoretical physics is e = hv, where v is the Greek letter 'nu' (pronounced 'new'). Some fancy algebraic footwork, and you get v = e/h. 

A physicist walks into a bar and the bartender says, "What's new?" 

The physicist replies: "e/h?"

 

If you "get" the math, the joke is easily recognizable. 

If you don't, you might feel a little like Goji...